Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Occupational asthma
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

Background
We have seen several patients occupationally exposed to fish with occupational asthma due to sensitisation to salmon and herring and patients with unspecific respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and cough.
Objectives
A questionnaire survey was performed among workers in fish processing companies to assess prevalence of asthma and work-related symptoms.
Methods
The questionnaire was completed by 394 fish processing workers and 1037 referents. Only those <66 years, not in office-work and working last year were analysed here. Fish processing workers were divided into filleting workers (n=106) and other workers (n=179) and compared to referents from the general population. Work-related symptoms every week and flu-like symptoms last year were evaluated. Adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox regression with robust variance.
Results

Prevalence ratio among fish processing workers compared to general population, PR (95% CI)

	Filleting workers	Other workers
Adult physician-diagnosed asthma	2.7 (1.4-5.2)	0.3 (0.1-1.1)
Work-related symptoms last year:
Cough with phlegm	3.8 (1.9-7.4)	0.7 (0.2-1.9)
Wheeze	3.4 (1.2-9.9)	2.1 (0.8-5.5)
Runny nose	2.7 (1.5-5.0)	2.3 (1.3-3.9)
Irritated throat	3.3 (1.5-6.9)	0.9 (0.3-2.6)
Flu-like symptoms last year	3.1 (2.2-4.4)	1.7 (1.3-2.2)

Conclusion
Asthma and weekly work-related respiratory symptoms were reported more often by filleting workers than referents. In both groups of fish processing workers runny nose and work-related flu-like symptoms were more prevalent than in the general population.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
A. Hovgard, A. Renström, A. Dahlman-Höglund, E. Andersson (Gothenburg, Stockholm, Sweden). Work-related symptoms and asthma among fish processing workers. Eur Respir J 2010; 36: Suppl. 54, 1472

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